With a quack quack here and a quack quack there, that is a sound you have to get used to when you are raising ducks on your homestead. We have since built this diy duck house and this diy duck pond filter shower for our 4 ducks. I was recently being doing some research online for best duck breeds for laying eggs, as we want to get some for our homestead.
Why duck eggs you ask? Well first of all they are bigger than chicken eggs, that means bigger omelettes for breakfast. There is also a lot more protein, non saturated fat and vitamins than in chicken eggs. Don’t worry this is what they call ‘healthy’ fat, which is good for your heart as well as regulating your cholesterol levels. Duck eggs also store for longer periods than their chicken cousins. Having said that let us take a quick look at some breeds, shall we?
Duck Breed #1: Khaki Campbell
This probably is the most popular breed when you are interested in egg production. This breed loves to forage and is very active. Size wise they are very light weight and average between 4 to 4 half pounds. You can expect them to lay anywhere between 250 to 340 eggs in a year.
Duck Breed #2: Welsh Harlequin
Since this is merely a hybrid of the Khaki Campbell breed, it is very reliable when it comes to the production of eggs. They love to forage too, however they are a tad bit bigger in size averaging between 5 to 5 1/2 pounds. You can expect them to lay anywhere between 240 to 330 eggs in a year.
Duck Breed #3: Magpie
I don’t know but I just love the name. This breed is perfect for controlling anything from insects, to snails or slugs on the homestead. Their average weight is between 4 to 5 pounds, but that doesn’t stop them from flying short distances. You can expect them to lay anywhere between 220 to 290 eggs in a year.
Duck Breed #4: Ancona
This one is one of the larger ones weighing in at an average of 6 to 6 1/2 pounds. The kids will love them as they tend to be very calm and therefore are great as pets. If you have problems with with large slugs, these guys will take care of them. You can expect them to lay anywhere between 210 to 280 eggs in a year.
Duck Breed #5: Indian Runner
I wonder if there is any connection between these birds and the American Indians. That would explain the name. Their body is has the perfect shape for their desire to move around a lot. It is the same weight as the Khaki Campbells and you can expect them to lay just over 200 eggs per year.
You can get more information on the Hobby Farms blog here…
6 Duck Breeds
To Raise For Eggs
You can watch the video below on EGG LAYING DUCKS! (and they are so quiet too!)…
You can watch the video below on Free Range Duck Mating & Serious Duck Egg Production #121…
You can watch the video below on Raising Ducks for Eggs…